Soaplike compositions and process of making same



Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOAPLIKE COMPOSITIONS AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME No Drawing. Application December 2, 1948, Serial No. 63,193

Claims.

The present invention relates to soap-like compositions and a process of making the same. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an improved process of preparing detergent soap-like compositions from proteinaceous compositions of the type present in buttermilk and the resulting soap-like product.

Typical soap compositions available heretofore contain as essential ingredients large amounts of alkali metal salts of higher fatty acids. While their detergent properties have for the most part proven satisfactory, they have also proven to be relatively expensive. This is particularly true at the present time due to the critical world-wide shortage of fats from which the fatty acids used in soap are derived. This also applies to modifled soap compositions such as the sulfonated fatty acids, as well as the cationic type detergents made up of complex and relatively expensive chemicals. The art has long desired a commercially practical, inexpensive soap-like detergent.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved, inexpensive soap-like detergent.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a commercially practical process of preparing an inexpensive soap-like detergent.

Other objects of the present invention will be apparent as the detailed description proceeds.

I have discovered an improved process for making a relatively inexpensive soap-like detergent which employs as its base material proteinaceous compositions of the type present in buttermilk. Buttermilk derived from various sources including natural or true or the so-called genuine buttermilk obtained as a by-product from a butter making operation, e. g. a churning operation, employing sweet or sour, pasteurized or unpasteurized cream, as well as the so-called commercial buttermilk obtained from cultured skim milk, may be used in the present invention. Where available it is preferred to employ natural or true buttermilk and particularly buttermilk obtained as a by-product from a butter making operation employing raw, unpasteurized sour cream. Condensed and dried buttermilk may also be used in the present invention, although when used it is preferred to add sufficient water to provide a final composition containing about 8 to 2 In carrying out the process of the presentinvention, buttermilk obtained as described above and containing, for example, about 90 per cent water and about 0.7-0.8 per cent ether extractables of which about only 0.3-0.4 per cent or less are true fats, is first allowed to ferment or sour at room temperature while exposed to the atmosphere for about 2 to 4 days. During this period, the acidity rises and the buttermilk proteins are modified, i. e. appear to be degraded by the microorganisms present in the souring buttermilk. At the end of this period lye, i. e. alkali metal hydroxide such as potassium or sodium hydroxide or mixtures of the same, is added and thoroughly mixed with the fermented or soured buttermilk.

\ The amount of alkali added may vary although suflicient quantity should be added to make the acidic buttermilk composition alkaline. sulting alkaline mixture is allowed to stand at room temperature for another period of about 2 to 4 days, during which time it sets to a rigid gel having a solid waxy appearance. Any liquid present (which is made up for the most part of excess alkali) is drained ofi and the gel which liquefies on heating is heated to boiling. The

time of this heating or cooking operation may taste.

10 per cent solids such as found in natural buttermilk. The terms genuine and commercia buttermilk above referred to are well known in the art and their preparations are described in the literature, Fundamentals of Dairy Science by Associates of Rogers, 2nd edition. A. C. S. Monograph Series No. 41, pp. 37-38 (1935).

vary depending upon the amounts of material being processed, etc., but in any event it should be continued until a sample of the hot alkali the cooking operation the fermented buttermilk-- alkali composition also loses its characteristic alkali taste and takes on a substantially neutral The cooked fermented buttermilk-alkali composition is then poured into molds and allowed to cool and solidify. Any residual alkali if present disappears on aging.

I have discovered that the color of the soaplike products may be readily made lighter by the addition of water to the fermented buttermilkalkali composition-at some time during the cooking operation. Various amounts of water may be added, depending upon the color desired, although for most operations it is preferred to add about 5-10 per cent water based upon the cooking mass and make the addition near the end of the cooking operation. This results in the formation of a whiter product but as excess water must be removed, the addition of water also prolongs the boiling period.

I have also discovered that the soap-like products obtained by the process of the present invention are lighter in color when the gel resulting from the treatment with alkali is pressed, e. g.

The re-- in a mold, before the cooking operation. The pressing of the gel removes occluded (trapped) liquid containing unreacted alkali.

The following example will serve to illustrate one of the preferred processes of the present invention.

Emample About 80 pounds of buttermilk, e. g. natural buttermilk obtained as a by-product from a butter making operation employing raw, unpasteurized sour cream, is first allowed to stand at room temperature and ferment or sour for about three days. If pasteurized cream or skim milk buttermilk is employed, it may be fermented open to the atmosphere or be inoculated with a small portion of the bacteria containing raw (unpasteurized) cream or milk. At the end of this period, about 3 pounds of sodium hydroxide dissolved in a small amount of Water is added with stirring and thoroughly mixed with the fermented buttermilk. The resulting alkaline mixture is allowed to stand at room temperature for another period of about 3 days, during which time it sets to a rigid waxy gel. The small amount of liquid present is next drained oil, and the gel pressed to remove any remaining free liquid. The gel is then'heated to boiling for about 3 hours at which time a sample of the hot composition flakes off a spoon as it cools. If water is added near the end of the cooking operation to obtain a lighter product, heatin is continued until the above described flake test demonstrates that the reaction is complete. The cooked, fermented buttermilk-alkali composition is then poured into suitable soap molds, allowed to cool and solidify.

ihe reactions taking place in the complex buttermilk composition are not understood, although it has been ascertained that the proteins and like materials of which ordinary natural or skim milk buttermilk contains over 3 per cent, are modified during the fermentation step as well as during the initial treatment with alkali resulting in the gel formation. The gel product in turn is furthe modified during the cooking operation.

The soap-like compositions of the present in vention possess excellent detergent properties and may be used in place of solid soaps. As the base material, buttermilk, is inexpensive and the chemical, lye, employed is also inexpensive, the soap-like detergent of the present invention is relatively inexpensive when compared with the costs of soaps and like detergents available heretofore.

I claim:

1. The process of preparing a soap-like composition which comprises fermenting a 'proteinaceous composition of the type present in buttermilk, mixing the fermented composition with alkali metal hydroxide, aging the resulting mixture until it sets to a gel, removing free liquid from the gel and cooking the aged mixture until a sample thereof will flake off a spoon as it cools.

2. In the process of preparing a soap-like composition from fermented natural buttermilk, the improvement which comprises mixing the fermer ed composition with sufficient sodium hydro to render the composition alkaline, aging the alkaline mixture until it sets to a gel, removing free liquid from the gel, and cooking the gel until a hot sample thereof will flake oil a spoon as it cools.

3. The process of preparin a soap-like composition which comprises allowing buttermilk to sour and ferment at room temperature for about 2 to 4 days, mixing the resulting acidic composition with sufficient alkali metal hydroxide to render the mixture alkaline, allowing the alkaline mixture to set to a gel by aging at room temperature for about 2 to 4 days, removing free liquid iron the gel, heating the gel to boiling, adding Water to the heated mixture and continuing the heat treatment until a sample of the hot composition will flake off a spoon as it cools.

The process of preparing a soap-like composition which comprises fermenting natural buttermilk derived from a butter making operation employing raw, unpasteurized sour cream, mixing the fermented buttermilk which becomes acidic during the fermentation period with sufficient sodium hydroxide to render the resulting mixture alkaline, aging the alkaline mixture for about 3 days during which period it sets to a waxy gel, draining oil excess liquid from the gel, pressing the to remove remaining free liquid, heating the gel to boiling, adding water to the heated mix ture near the end of the cooking period, and continuing the heat treatment to the point at which a sample of the hot composition flakes oil a spoon as it cools.

5. The soap-like composition prepared by fermenting an aqueous buttermilk composition at room temperature, mixing the resulting acidic mixture with alkali metal hydroxide, aging the resulting alkaline mixture until it sets to a gel, removing free liquid from the gel and cooking the aged mixture until a hot sample thereof flakes off a spoon as it cools.

1 LEON D. GAITHE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Martin, Modern Soap and Detergent Industry, 1931, vol. 2, sec. VII, pp. 28-30. 

1. THE PROCESS OF PREPARING A SOAP-LIKE COMPOSITION WHICH COMPRISES FERMENTING A PROTEINACEOUS COMPOSITION OF THE TYPE PRESENT IN BUTTERMILK, MIXING THE FERMENTED COMPOSITION WITH ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE, AGING THE RESULTING MIXTURE UNTIL IT SETS TO A GEL, REMOVING FREE LIQUID FROM THE GEL AND COOKING THE AGED MIXTURE UNTIL A SAMPLE THEREOF WILL FLAKE OFF A SPOON AS IT COOLS. 